If someone spent a lot of time on their appearance in the past, there is the chance that it wouldn’t have been possible for them to go out without looking a certain way. And while they might have been able to let go when they were at home, this might not have been the case.

As a result of this, it wouldn’t have mattered whether they were around others as they had to maintain their appearance. Yet even if they were at home, they may have been other people around.

Another Factor

But regardless of whether they were around others or by themselves, they are likely to have had at least one mirror. So when they were in front of one, they could have felt as though they were being watched.

Therefore, if they were to put their appearance to one side and to relax, they may have felt exposed. It could then be said that their life was one big performance, and this would have created a lot of pressure.

Today’s World

As time has passed, these are not the only areas where one can have the need to maintain their appearance, and this is because of social media. This has created a whole new environment for them to express themselves.

However, it will be easier for them to look a certain way online than will be for them to look a certain way offline. This primarily comes down to the fact that they can change how they look.

A Few Touches

Not only can one decide what pictures they will share with their ‘friends’; they can also edit them. This then gives them the chance to slightly change how they look, or they can completely transform their appearance.

One way of looking at this would be to say that one can change how they look without needing to have surgery. When this happens, one is operating on the pictures they have taken, so to speak.
​Two Ways

And while one could change their images and then that’s as far as they will go; they could also go one step further and have real surgery. This could be seen as something they need to do to look right online and offline.

If they were to take this approach, there is a greater chance of then looking the same offline as they do online. This can all depend on what they do to the images that they upload online.

Offline

If one didn’t go this far and they were to only edit their pictures online, they could spend a lot of time doing what they can to improve their appearance in other ways. This is something that could take place through exercising, having a certain diet and using sunbeds, for instance.

When it comes to what one can do, it can all depend on what sex they are, as there are going to be more options available if they are a woman. For one thing, a woman can change how she looks by wearing makeup, and while a man could do the same thing, this is something that is not as likely to occur.

In Recent Years

Still, there are number of things that men can do to their appearance that they wouldn’t have done in the past. For example, it is not uncommon for them to shape their eye brows or to remove the hair on their body.

There are also a number of men that use makeup, but it is not something that the majority of men use. Yet although men generally don’t use makeup, what they do have is the ability to grow facial hair, and this can be trimmed and shaped to change how they look.

Both Ways

So as there are so many options available, it doesn’t matter whether one is a man or woman as they can still put a lot of effort into how they look. Ultimately, it comes down to what they are like and how they choose to live their life.

When one takes care of their appearance, it could be said that they are simply looking after themselves. It is then not just about creating the right impression; it is also about treating themselves with respect.

Two Experiences

However, there is clearly a difference between one looking after their appearance and being obsessed with how they look. When it comes to the former, it shows that they value who they are, and yet when it comes to the latter, it could be said this is not the case.

Their need to spend so much time on their appearance could be seen as a way for them to gain approval from other people. The feedback that they receive from others will then be used to cover up how they feel about themselves.

Hard To Believe

It is not always going to be possible for other people to realise this though, as they could end up being caught up with how they look. For example, if one is seen as being attractive, it can be normal for others to see them as having it all together.

And through having this idealised image of them, it won’t be possible for them to take a deeper look into what is taking place. Along with this, if one receives a lot of approval from others, they can come across as really confident.

Approval

But if this was to change, they could soon come crashing down, and this because they don’t value themselves. As if they were able to give themselves the kind of approval that they look towards others to give them, they might no longer need to spend as much time on how they look.

Awareness

When one experiences life in this way, it can be a sign that there has been a time in their life where someone treated them badly. Perhaps this relates to what took place during their childhood years.

If one is in this position and they want to change their life, they might need to reach out for external support. This can be provided by a therapist and/or a support group.

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